Schlüsselwörter

Psychosocial characteristics of deaf people: evaluation of data from a special outpatient clinic for the deaf

Summary

In this publication, data from a special outpatient clinic for deaf patients in a general hospital are presented. All members of the treatment team have competency in sign language. From the patients who consecutively attended the outpatient clinic, 352 were investigated for medical and psychosocial problems. In social contacts, there is a strong orientation towards other deaf people, and communication is mainly based on sign language. Of the deaf patients, 85% of their partners are also deaf, whereas only 10.1% of children of the deaf group are also deaf. The prevalence of selected psychiatric disorders (ICD 10 F1, F2, F3, F4, F6) in deaf people was found to be similar to that in hearing populations, with the exception of somatoform disorders, which seem to be more frequent in the deaf. Deaf people also more often present with somatic and other complaints such as nervousness, anxiety, and stress. With specific outpatient clinics for the deaf in which members of the therapeutic team are competent in sign language, access to health services is equally possible for deaf people.

Bridgeman G, Macpherson B, Rako M et al (2000) A national epidemiological survey of mental illness in the New Zealand deaf community. Paper presented to the 5th European and 2nd World Conference on Mental Health and Deafness, Copenhagen

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